older Subaru Outback Wagon?

I'm looking for a reasonable priced car(preferable under $5,000), and I'm curious about how the older(1998-2002) Outback wagons are after they have over 100,000 miles on them. What sort of repairs can be expected? How much longer will they keep running?

Or perhaps other suggestions for similar cars? I need an AWD or 4WD, because I live very close to Lake Tahoe, and drive in the snow/ice quite often. And wagons/small SUV's are preferred, just because I tend to have a lot of crap to transfer between the barn and my house.

Comments

At that age the care and maintenance means everything. Check for signs of oil leaks in the usual spots (front main seal, rear main seal, and head gaskets). I would even suggest a pressure test in each cylinder, looking for no more than 10% variance in psi.

Turn the radio off, open the windows, and drive in a figure 8 pattern. Listen for sounds that might indicate a bad CV joint or worn differentials.

The good news is that because of the AWD, problems tend to be more obvious.